The only way to completely eliminate all sources of gluten from y our diet is to eat
only foods that are naturally gluten-free. To do this effectively, you would need to
avoid all forms of processed food and any form of food containing additives or preservatives, meaning the majority of canned, jarred and boxed foods are out!
Any thing that isn’t fresh and in its natural state is more than likely a source of hidden
gluten and therefore should be avoided.
Naturally gluten-free foods include:
-Fresh fruits and vegetables
-Meat and fish (unprocessed)
-Potatoes
-Rice
-Lentils
Of course, if you normally eat mainly fresh foods and prepare y our meals from
scratch using fresh ingredients, transitioning to a gluten-free diet is a relatively simple
process, but, if y ou normally eat mainly pre-packaged convenience foods or
takeaway s, transitioning to a gluten-free diet may require a more radical change in
lifesty le. The good news is that there are gluten-free "ready meals" out there and a
growing number of convenience food manufacturers are now producing gluten-free
ranges. However, the not-so-good news is that gluten-free "fast food" is not generally
an inexpensive option. Gluten-free should never mean enjoy ment-free, so learning
how to prepare gluten-free versions of the foods y ou love at home is the way to take
gluten out of y our diet without taking out the flavor and the fun!
Staple Items for Your Store Cupboards
The easiest way to ensure y ou alway s have gluten-free foods available is to keep y our
refrigerator and kitchen cupboards stocked with the naturally gluten-free foods listed
above. However, preparing appetizing meals with those foods will require a few more
additional ingredients. With a little organization, it becomes possible to stock y our
kitchen with every thing y ou need to prepare quick and easy home-cooked meals and
never again have to spend time checking the label of every item for hidden gluten
before using it. In fact, with so many gluten-free recipes now available, the sky is
virtually y our limit in terms of preparing simple and simply delicious gluten-free
meals.
Suggested foods to have readily available include:
-Eggs
-Nuts
-Beans
-Legumes
-Quinoa – provides an alternative to rice or potatoes
-Noodles – quinoa, rice, or corn varieties
-Fruit juices – freshly squeezed or juiced at home is best
-Milk (without artificial flavoring)
-Coffee – ready ground or grind y our own at home
-Tea – unflavored, but ground up natural spices can be used to create y our
own "specialty " varieties of tea or coffee
-Fresh herbs – grinding y our own herbs at home is best, but gluten-free
dried herbs are also available
-Oils for cooking and dressings
-Gluten-free flour – rice, almond, garbanzo bean, or coconut to name just
a few
-Sugar – most brands are gluten-free but always check
-And milk, cheese, and other natural dairy products if y ou are not lactose
intolerant
The above refrigerator and store cupboard ingredients make it possible to rustle
up delicious meals in minutes and as y our confidence grows along with y our
discovery of more gluten-free ingredients that suit y our taste-buds and y our budget,
y ou can add to y our kitchen stocks accordingly .
Popular GlutenFree Brands
The following brands are just a few of the most commonly available; this is by no
means an exhaustive list ...
Bob’s Red Mill® – a wide range of gluten-free flours and baking goods.
Astoria Mills® – suppliers of quinoa products including gluten-free rice and pasta.
Tinkyada® – gluten-free rice pasta.
Glutino® – gluten-free table crackers.
Natural Pasta Magic™ – gluten-free pasta sauces.
Nikki’s GlutenFree Foods™ – gluten-free sauce mixes and gravies.
Walden Farms® – gluten-free ice cream, dessert toppings, may onnaise and
salad dressings.
GlutenFreeda® – gluten-free range of burrito and pizza wrap frozen dinners.
Allergy-free Foods® – gluten-free frozen dinners.
Amy’s® Kitchen – gluten-free range of frozen dinners, organic salsa, pasta
sauces and snack foods.
Hunt’s® – gluten-free tomato ketchup and canned tomato products.
Equal® – gluten-free sugars.
Log Cabin® – gluten-free pancake sy rups.
Newman’s Own® – gluten-free salad dressing.
Smucker’s® – gluten-free range of jellies and jams.
Simply Organic® – organic gluten-free range of spices.
